HCSA statement on Hospital Doctors' pay award

The Hospital Consultants & Specialists Association has issued the following statement on today’s pay award.

HCSA President Professor Ross Welch said: “The new Secretary of State makes a mockery of NHS doctors by depicting this pay award as a recognition of the value and dedication of hardworking doctors. It is anything but. Having praised the Herculean efforts last winter of hospital doctors and other NHS staff, this government now rewards medics by imposing another real-terms pay cut.

“In doing so not only has it yet again ignored the recommendations of its own pay review body, which urged a rise of between 2 per cent and 3.5 per cent backdated to April, but it seeks to insult hospital doctors’ intelligence by presenting it as some great advance. These so-called rises will only take effect from October, immediately reducing their value by half even before inflation.

“Year-on-year pay cuts are a disastrous false economy which fuel an eye-wateringly expensive locum and temp market. They also pile increasing pressure on a dwindling and disenchanted core workforce struggling to cover vacant posts.

“Today’s announcement is a clear indication of a government in denial over the scale of the current medical workforce crisis. It has now indicated that it wishes to tie Consultant and SAS doctor contract reform to a multi-year pay deal. Following this latest blow, it would be extremely naive to expect hospital doctors to co-operate meekly with this goal.”

Notes to editorsHCSA is a TUC-affiliated, nationally recognised professional association and trade union that represents all grades of post-graduate hospital doctor. We are currently one of only two parties alongside the BMA recognised by NHS Employers for the purposes of negotiating hospital doctors’ pay, terms and conditions in England.